REVIEW: The Dillinger Escape Plan, SEVEN)SUNS, The Callous Daoboys, Deadguy at Brooklyn Paramount | 06.22.2024
Welp, I gotta send it in for repair; my 24-70mm lens, that is. No big deal, just the most versatile and most-used lens that I have. Just the lens I use for every show and freelance gig. Oh, and also The Dillinger Escape Plan reunited for three sold out shows and I'm shooting one of them this weekend, Oh oh, and one more thing – The Callous Daoboys and Deadguy are playing too. Fantastic timing.
After three final shows at Terminal 5 in New York City back in 2017, The Dillinger Escape Plan called it a night after an amazing 20 year run. Seven years later, the band returned to New York with founding vocalist Dimitri Minakakis at the helm for another trio of sold out shows, this time at Brooklyn Paramount. I was to be on hand for night two.
So what was I going to do? I had my 70-200mm lens, but I needed a wider option. Enter the Canon 35mm f/1.8. A reasonably priced lens that is worth every cent. I hadn't shot a show with a prime lens in quite some time, but for a show like Dillinger Escape Plan, where everything moves a mile a minute, perhaps it would help to have one less thing to control.
DEADGUY
Metalcore trailblazers Deadguy reformed in 2021 after a 25-year hiatus, and the strength of their opening performance proved that they undeniably still have a pulse. Opening with songs from their sole album, Fixation on a Co-Worker, vocalist Tim Singer divulged that the band has amassed about ten new songs for a forthcoming album, nearly 30 years in the making. They treated fans to a few of those songs, proving that the sophomore release will be more than worth the wait.
I fell in love with the 35mm lens almost instantly. Being able to open my aperture to 1.8 made a huge difference; I almost had too much light to work with at times. I didn't miss the lack of the option to zoom almost at all, much to my surprise.
Deadguy was a blast to shoot, particularly due to their crowd engagement, of which there was plenty. Guitarist Keith Huckins and bassist Jim Baglino both crowd surfed while playing their respective parts – what more can you ask for when you're shooting a band?
THE CALLOUS DAOBOYS
Easily one of the most awesome bands I’ve come to discover over the past couple years, The Callous Daoboys upped the ante with a set filled with mind-bending aggression. Vocalist Carson Pace defiantly overcame being under the weather and was powerful as ever.
The band's opening slot was a dream realized for Pace. He noted midway through the set his appreciation for The Dillinger Escape Plan and shared that he attended one of their final shows at Terminal 5. What an epic full-circle moment it was to now be sharing the stage with them. Despite Pace's illness and some technical issues at the start, it was a well-deserved accomplishment that proved The Callous Daoboys' rightful place on that stage.
The Callous Daoboys were as much fun to shoot as they were to watch. It's tough when you're shooting a band that you really like because you tend to put more pressure on yourself to get shots that you like. The colors required some work to fix in Lightroom and as a result some came out better than others.
SEVEN)SUNS
SEVEN)SUNS' intermission performance was a pleasant and captivating surprise. The string quartet's renditions of three classic Dillinger Escape Plan songs, including "One Of Us Is The Killer" left the crowd transfixed and inspired sing-a-longs at times. The talent of each member of shown through their respective parts, and the way they watched and supported each other allowed them to shine together.,
Considering the physical madness that was on the horizon, it was nice to have four stationary musicians to shoot. The lighting was a bit harsh, which made the decision to edit in black and white an easy one. I'm happy with the results.
THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN
It may have been 23 years since frontman Dimitri Minakakis' departure from The Dillinger Escape Plan, but the band played together like they’d never missed a beat. Their night two performance, which was on John Dillinger's birthday no less, was electrifying chaos with a fiery finish.
The band played all of the songs from their debut album, Calculating Infinity, over the course of the set, and included a few early EP tracks like "Cleopatra's Sling" as well as covers of Minor Threat and Aphex Twin. Minakakis made his way out to the front of house and performed "Jim Fear" atop the sound board before making his way back to end the evening with "43% Burnt" and deliver a fire-breathing finale.
With plenty of light and plenty of chaos came a plethora of epic moments to capture. Guitarist Ben Weinman was all over the place and I missed a few would-be-favorite shots of him, sometimes just by a frame or two, but that's the nature of the beast. Minakakis' fire breathing was worth the wait, as I'd positioned myself in what ended up being the perfect place to capture the moment in all its glory.